The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-02-10
SNOW BOUND AT EAGLES
BY BRET HARTE.
copyrighted by Houghton, Mifiin G Co., and
published by arrangement with them.l
CHAPTER V,

CHAPTER V.
The speed and fury with which Chnch's
cavalcade swept On in the direction Of the
mysterious shot left Hale no chance for re-
fiection He was conscious of shouting in
coherently with the others, of urging his
horse irresistibly forward, of momentarily
expecting to meet or overtake something, but
without any further thought. The figures Of
Clinch and Rawlins Immediately before him
shut out the prospect of the narrowing trail.
Once only, taking advantage Of a sudden halt
that threw them confusedly together, he
managed to ask q question.
"Lost their track-found it egain!" shouted
the ostler, as CIinch, with cry like the bay
ing Of o hound again darted forward. Their
horses were painting and trembling under
them, the ascent seemed to be growing
sleeper, singular darkness, which even the
density of the wood did not sufficiently ac-
count for, surrounded them, but still their
leader madly urged them on. To Hale's re-
turning senses they did not seem in a condi-
ton to engage O. single resolute man, who
might have alnbushed in the woods or beaten
them in detail in the narrow gorge, but in
another instant the reason of their furious
haste was manifest. Squirting his horse
ahead, Clinch dashed out into the open with
q cheering shout-a shout that as quickly
changed to a yell Of inaprecation. They were
On the Ridge in a binding snowstorml The
road had already vanished under their feet,
and with it the fresh trail they had SO closely
followed They stood helplessly on the shore
of a trackless white sea, blank and spotless Of
any trace or sign of the fugitives.
"'Pears to me, boys" said the ostler, sud-
denly ranging before them, "ef you're not
kalkilatin' on gittin' another party to dig ye
out, ye'd better be huntin' fodder and cover
instead of road agents 'Skuse me, gentle
men, but I'm responsible for the bosses, and
this amt no time for circus ridin' We're a
matter O. six miles from the station in bee
line"
"Back to the trail, them" said Clinch,
wheeling his horse toward the road they had
just quilted.
"'Skuse me, Kernel" said the ostler, laying
LIS SAi SlltCA lSIL, Uut oLleto way OIly
brings us back the road we kem-the stage
road-three miles further from home. That
three miles is on the divide, and by the time
we get there 1t will be showed up worse nor
this. The shortest cut is along the Ridge. If
we hump ourselves we ken cross the divide
afore the road is blocked. And that, 'skuse
me, gentlemen, is my road"
There was no time for discussion The
road was already palpably thickening under
their feet. Hale's arm was stiffened to his
side by wet, clinging snow wreath The
figures of the others were almost obliterated
and shapeless. It was not snowing-it was
snowballingl The huge flakes, shaken like
enormous feathers out of vast blue black
cloud, commingled and fell in sprays and
patches. All idea OF their former pursuit
was forgotten; the blind rage and enthusi-
asm that had possessed them was gone
They dashed after their new leader with only
an instinct for shelter and succor.
They had not ridden long when for
tunately, as it seemed to Hale, the character
of the storm changed. The snow no longer
fell in such large flakes, nor as heavily. A
bitter wind succeeded; the soft snow began
to stiffen and crackle under the horses hoofs;
they were no longer weighted and encum-
bered by the drifts upon their bodies; the
smaller flakes now r,ustled and rasped against
them like sand, OF bounded from them like
hail. They seemed to be moving more easily
and rapidly, their spirits were rising with
the stimulus of cold and motion, when sud-
denly their leader halted.
dts no use, boys. It can't be done! This
is no blizzard, but regular two days snifterl
It's no longer meltin', but packin' and drift
in now. Even if we get over the divide,
we're sure to be blocked up in the pass"
1t was trtleI To their bitter disappointment
they could now see that the snow had not
really diminished in quantity, but that the
now finely powdered particles were rapidly
filling all inequalities of the surface, packing
in long burrows across the levels. They
looked with anxiety at their self-constituted
leader.
"We must make a break to get down in
tile woods again before it's too late" he said
briefly.
But they had already drifted away from
the fringe of Iarches and dwarf pines that
marked the sides Of the Ridge, and lower
down merged into the dense forest that clothed
the flank of the mountain they had lately
climbed, and it was with the greatest diff
| Guilty that they again reached it, only to fine
that at that point it was too precipitous fol
the descent of their horses. Benumbed and
| speeches., they continued to toll on, opposed
| to the full fury of the singing snow, and a
times obliged to turn their horses to the bias
to keep from being blown over the Ridge
| At the end of half hour tie ostler dis
! mounted, and, reckoning to the others, tool
| his horse by the bride and began the descent
could not help at first recoiling from the pros
pect before him. The trail-if it could be 81
called-was merely the track or furrow o
some fallen tree, dragged, by accident or de
sign, diagonally across the sides Of the noun
| tain. At times it appeared scarcely foot il
width; at other times a mere crumbline
gully, or narrow shelf made by the projec
tions of dead boughs and collected debris. l
seemed perilous for foot passenger; it ap
peared impossible Tor horse. nevertheless
he had taken a step forward when Clincl
laid his hand on his arm.
you'll bring up the rear" he said, not IN
kindly, "ez you're stranger here. Wait un
til we sing out to you"
/ "But if prefer to take the same risks a
you all?" said Hale, stifiiy.
"You kim" said Clinch, grimly. "But
reckoned, as you weren't familiar with thi
sort o thing, you wouldn't keer, by an
foolishness O. yours, to stampede the rock
ahead of us, and break down the trail, o
send down an avalanche on top of us. Blu
| just ez you like"
Il will wait, then" said Hale, hastily.
The rebuke, however, did him good ser
- Il .